It Happened Here
While New York’s Lower Manhattan is best known as a global financial center, it has been America’s town square since the founding of the city as New Amsterdam in 1624. Virtually every aspect of global, local, national, and local significance can be traced to this downtown stage in some manner. Some aspects have been long forgotten, some have been transformative to our culture, and many have fallen in between. It Happened Here captures the multiple and overlapping stories that have been woven throughout the 400-year life of New York. It embraces America’s history along with the museums, monuments, and memorials that dot its streetscape. It highlights the concerns, events, passions, and places that the people who lived, fought, worked, and visited here found important at their moment in time.
It Happened Here seeks to excavate its many historical layers: from its inception as the precolonial Lenapehoking territory (once inhabited by the Munsee Lenape and Wappinger tribes), to the creation of New Amsterdam by the Dutch, to the establishment of the first free African settlement in North America, to the establishment of British control, to the gateway for immigration, to being the site of the American Revolution, to its present-day significance as the nation’s cultural and financial nerve-center.
What better way to commemorate New York City’s 400th anniversary and America’s 250th than to combine them into one special celebration: It Happened Here.
It Happened Here officially began on July 3, 2025, with a naturalization of 10 New Americans at America’s First Capitol: Federal Hall National Memorial. It was followed by a special July 4th weekend with 400 years into 5 days with each day being devoted to a century of the city’s life and history. There will be many more programs and events over the next year, including tours and additional content on cultureNOW’s digital “museum without walls” app.
2000’s Symposium: Facing the Future
2000’s Symposium: Facing the Future
Monday, July 7, 2025
8:00 AM 5:00 PM
Please join cultureNOW,the Lower Manhattan Historical Association, Center for Architecture,Consulate-General of the Netherlands in New York for a hybrid symposium about strategies for facing the urbanchallenges of the 21st century: mobility, resiliency, cultural heritage, water, housing. Architects from Amsterdam andother major cities in the Netherlands are global leaders in addressing these issues and will be invited to present theirideas in this program.
Morning 8:30am (EDT) / 2:30pm (CEST)
Francine Marie Jeanne Houben is a Dutch architect who graduated with cum laude honors from the Delft University of Technology. She is the founding partner and creative director of Mecanoo architecten, an architecture firm based in Delft, The Netherlands.
Houben’s work spans a wide range of projects, including universities, libraries, theaters, residential areas, and museums. Her approach to architecture combines social, technical, playful, and human aspects of space-making. She is particularly known for her design of libraries, including the Library of Birmingham and the refurbishment of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C.
Houben has received numerous accolades for her work, including the 2014 Woman Architect of the Year award by the Architects’ Journal.
Mecanoo is a renowned Dutch architecture firm founded in 1984 and based in Delft, Netherlands, with additional offices in New York, London, and Kaohsiung. Led by Creative Director Francine Houben, the firm is known for its human-centered design philosophy, which balances People, Place, and Purpose. Mecanoo’s diverse portfolio spans libraries, cultural centers, housing, transportation hubs, and civic buildings—each shaped by context, sustainability, and social impact.
Signature projects include the Library of Birmingham, Delft Railway Station, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., and the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts in Taiwan. With a multidisciplinary team and a commitment to inclusive, futureoriented design, Mecanoo continues to shape meaningful spaces around the world.
Winka Dubbeldam, March, MsAAD, is the founder and partner of Archi-Tectonics NYC, LLC, a WBE-certified firm with offices in the U.S., the Netherlands, and China. Known for award-winning, sustainable design, her studio has completed a wide range of mixed-use, residential, wellness, and retail projects—including flagship stores for Ports1961 in London, Paris, and Shanghai. Archi-Tectonics won the Asian Games Design Competition for a 116- acre eco-park and hybrid stadium complex in Hangzhou, China, which opened in 2023 and has since been repurposed as a civic hub. The project garnered multiple international awards, as did her 512GW Townhouse, honored by AIA, SARA, and others.
Appointed as Director and CEO of SCI-Arc Los Angeles, starting in September 2025, Dubbeldam previously chaired the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Architecture (2013–2023), where she also led the ARI Lab. She has taught at Columbia, Cornell, and Harvard, and was named one of Design Intelligence’s 30 Most Admired Educators in 2015. Dubbeldam serves as External Examiner at the Architectural Association and Bartlett UCL, sits on several international award juries, and recently joined Bogotá’s Architecture Biennale 2025 as an advisor. Her work is featured in global publications and monographs, with a fifth, Monsters & Mutants (Park Books), forthcoming in Fall 2025.
Archi-Tectonics is a WBE-certified architecture and design studio founded in 1994 by Winka Dubbeldam, with offices in New York City, Amsterdam, and Hangzhou. Led by Dubbeldam and partner Justin Korhammer, the firm is known for its innovative, multidisciplinary approach that blends advanced digital design, rigorous research, and sustainable fabrication methods. Archi-Tectonics works across scales—from objects to buildings to urban systems—creating concept-driven environments that prioritize performance, equity, and ecological intelligence. Their portfolio includes award-winning projects such as the Asian Games Eco Park and Hybrid Stadiums in Hangzhou, the 512GW Townhouse, and flagship retail spaces for Ports1961. With a commitment to design excellence and future-facing solutions, Archi-Tectonics delivers architecture that is both imaginative and enduring.
Florian Idenburg is a globally recognized architect with over two decades of experience, particularly known for his innovative work in residential architecture. After honing his skills in Amsterdam and Tokyo, he co-founded SO–IL in New York in 2008 with Jing Liu. Florian has made significant contributions to multifamily housing in Brooklyn, where he has designed a number of widely recognized projects that push the boundaries of traditional typologies. His work spans both market-rate and affordable housing, demonstrating a unique ability to innovate within the constraints of market realities.
Florian’s expertise lies in re-imagining residential spaces, creating environments that enhance the quality of life for their inhabitants. His projects are marked by a keen intuition for the interplay of form, material, and light, transforming imaginative concepts into tangible, livable spaces. His approach to housing design is captured in the book *In Depth: Urban Domesticities Today*, which explores how SO-IL “hacks” traditional codes, cores, courts, and corridors to promote well-being and community in urban living. Through his thoughtful approach and collaborative spirit, Florian continues to influence the future of residential architecture, in urban contexts like Brooklyn and beyond.
In recognition of his contributions to architecture, Florian has received several prestigious awards, including the Charlotte Köhler Prize from the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund in 2010, the Architecture Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2022, and the United States Artists Fellow Prize in 2022. He is a registered architect in the Netherlands and an International Associate of the American Institute of Architects.
SOLID OBJECTIVES IDENBURG LIU (SO–IL) believes in open, thoughtful, and humanistic architecture that creates meaningful cultural and social impact. The studio is dedicated to designing transformative arts and civic projects that enrich communities and the environment. Founders Florian Idenburg and Jing Liu met in Tokyo in 2001 and formed SO–IL in New York City in 2008 with a vision of a global practice that merges craft and detail-oriented construction with intellectual rigor and a distinct aesthetic. The studio of skilled and committed architects is based in New York and Amsterdam and has cultivated a diverse international portfolio of critically-acclaimed projects. Staying true to its founding ideology, SO–IL continues to play a leading role in the wider dialogue of architecture today through building, education, and publishing.
Rijk Rietveld Rijk Rietveld grew up working in his father’s architecture office. He spent his formative years at the Academy of Building Arts in Amsterdam. To fulfil an academic internship, he chose the office of Herman Hertzberger and remained there for many years where he became the head designer of an international practice. Being part of Structuralist group of architects with Aldo van Eyck and Jan Rietveld was an especially memorable experience. Rijk Rietveld worked for twelve years in the Amsterdam office of Herman Hertzberger before moving to New York In 1986. He became an Associate Partner of Richard Meier and Partners in 1992, where he was responsible for the design and execution of the Central Library and City Hall in The Hague, the Canal Plus headquarters in Paris, and the headquarters of Compaq in Houston.
In 1996 Rijk went on to work for I.M. Pei on the design of the Museum for German History in Berlin. Rijk Rietveld has lectured at many European and American Universities including Berkeley, Scy-Arc, MIT, Penn and Columbia. He was an Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech and is a registered architects in New York and the Netherlands. Currently, Rijk and Margaret work on cutting edge, environmental and nature-inclusive designs in the Greater New York area and continuing work in the Netherlands with projects in London, Paris and Italy.
Since its founding in 1993, Rietveld Architects has conceived public and private spaces that provide a fresh take on what’s modern. With associates in Amsterdam and Argentina, the New York-based firm serves as a laboratory for design invention where new notions of living, working, and building are evaluated and explored. Through research alliances with the world’s foremost building and engineering experts, Rietveld Architects has advanced notable building innovations, including the world’s thinnest four-story curtain wall façade for the InHolland College building at Delft University. Rietveld Architect’s pioneering approach to design, construction, and reuse have garnered it numerous honors, including awards from the AIA and SARA, as well as the Top Ten Façade Innovation Award. While high-tech thinking informs all its projects, so too does a high-touch sensibility. In fact, Rietveld Architects has won acclaim for its supremely luxurious designs, expertly curated to suit the taste and requirements of its clients. Clients include international developers and corporations, municipal governments, universities and schools. Residential architecture in all typologies— affordable housing, high-rise towers, and private homes—is a key focus of the firm.
Jos van Eldonk is partner architect at the Amsterdam-based architectural firm Common Affairs. He primarily works on urban and architectural transformation projects. His passion lies in giving structures a second, or even a third, life. Imagine and connect!
Common Affairs is a relatively young firm, celebrating its ninth anniversary in 2025. Our work focuses on retail, housing, transformation, and the redevelopment of inner cities and industrial areas. Every project inspires us through its unique location, program, and client. For each client, we seek the most exciting and most fitting solution. With every assignment, we explore the past and the future, the everyday and the specific. We study the people, their relationships and their habits. Cities and buildings are rooted in the unique quality of the place, they are created in the interaction between people. It is in this exchange between place and person that real life emerges: Common Affairs.
Common Affairs creates uncommon architecture for everyday life. We design striking buildings and places that people can truly make their own, places with room for both the individual and the collective, for similarity and difference. We believe that good design strikes a balance between vision, imagination, and functionality. This is reflected in the layered nature of our work. We weigh up interests and challenge. What we create is as surprising as it is familiar. It feels right and it stands out.
Contributing to a sustainable society is a given for Common Affairs. The buildings and cities we create are designed for a sustainable future, both environmentally and socially. Our designs are built to last, to age gracefully, and to be easy to maintain. We have a preference for bio-based and circular design. We are acutely aware of the environmental impact of construction. In every project, we engage with stakeholders to explore ways to reduce that impact and to reuse buildings or their components wherever possible.
Evert Klinkenberg studied architecture at TU Delft and ETH Zürich. After graduating in 2008 he worked at Herzog & de Meuron in Basel on projects in New York, Beijing, London, Bordeaux and Basel. Additionally he taught design studios at ETH Zürich and TU Delft. After 10 years in Switzerland, he returned to the Netherlands, where he co-founded BETA in 2015.
BETA was founded in 2015 in Amsterdam by partners Evert Klinkenberg and Auguste van Oppen. Before starting their own practice, they gained broad professional experience both locally and internationally.
The studio focuses on architecture and research within the contemporary city, using an investigative approach that places people and social structures at the center. Many of their projects are shaped by prior research, while built work often leads to new inquiries into types and programs. The office investigates the performative nature of architecture for optimal effect in spatial use, architectural expression, and resource efficiency.
In addition to housing, BETA works on public buildings and urban design across the Netherlands and Europe, and has received recognition through competitions and awards including the Amsterdam Architecture Prize in 2018 and 2025.
Jan Knikker joined MVRDV in 2008. Before this he started his career as a journalist, and then shaped the public image of OMA for nearly a decade. As Partner at MVRDV, Jan leads the Contracts, Business Development and Public Relations efforts, forming a fast and strategic studio that includes a strong visualisation team and the practice’s sustainability team. He leads MVRDV’s branding efforts and has overseen the practice’s rapid expansion into new markets, focusing on solutions for global issues through its architecture and urbanism. He has worked on many publications and exhibitions, including the book MVRDV Buildings.
Jan regularly lectures internationally, at commercial and academic venues. He writes for various publications and was Deputy Editor of Domus 2019. Jan is currently member of the Denkmal & Gestaltungsbeirat of the city of Wiesbaden, Germany (Esthetical and Heritage Council). He is a member of the HNI Heritage Network, led the online design magazine Dafne, and from 2007 to 2011 was a member of the International Projects commission of the Netherlands Architecture Funds.
MVRDV, an architecture and urban design firm based in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with additional offices in Berlin, Paris, New York, and Shanghai, was founded in 1993 by Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, and Nathalie de Vries—whose initials form the name MVRDV—the firm is known for its bold, experimental designs and data-driven approach to urban challenges.
Their work spans housing, cultural institutions, public spaces, and large-scale urban planning. Notable projects include the Markthal in Rotterdam, the Dutch Pavilion at Expo 2000, and the Valley tower in Amsterdam. MVRDV often blends playfulness with pragmatism, aiming to create spaces that are both imaginative and socially responsive.
Stefan Prins is a Partner at Powerhouse Company. He is responsible for public projects and complex inner city developments and manages a team that specializes in these typologies. He leads the development and implementation of complex timber solutions in design processes, while ensuring the alignment of all stakeholders. Prins regularly gives lectures or leads design studios at Universities, such as the Academy of Architecture in Groningen and Rotterdam.
Powerhouse Company is an international architectural firm rooted in the heart of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, with offices in Oslo and Munich. Since their establishment in 2005, they’ve grown into a multidisciplinary, forward-thinking team of over 100 talented professionals.
Founder Nanne de Ru is joined by an esteemed leadership team, including Paul Stavert, Stefan Prins, Sander Apperlo, Johanne Borthne, Albert Takashi Richters, and Emma Scholten. Together, they forge ahead into the future of architecture, driven by a shared passion for innovation and design excellence.
The Powerhouse Company portfolio consists of a diverse range of projects that reflect the firm’s dedication to timelessness, beauty, and the quality of life for the users of these projects. Their work includes transformation projects, villas, future-proof workspaces, residential complexes, custom interior designs, and impactful public projects. From awe-inspiring residences that seamlessly blend with nature to sustainable mixed-use developments that redefine cityscapes. The team carefully crafts their projects into wellbalanced designs through in-depth research of the historical and future context.
Dikkie Scipio is a Professor of Architecture at FH Münster and one of the Founding Partners at KAAN Architecten. She specializes in intricate undertakings and processes, with a particular focus oncraftsmanship within architecture, the concept of beauty and re-imagining heritage in contemporary times. She seamlessly integrates building and expansion with preservation, showcasing her commitment to respecting existing structures and historical significance.
KAAN Architecten is a Rotterdam-based architectural firm operating globally across the fields of architecture, urbanism, and built environment research, with additional offices in New York (2020), São Paulo (2015), and Paris (2019).
Led by Kees Kaan, Vincent Panhuysen, and Dikkie Scipio, the studio is home to an international, multidisciplinary team of architects, landscape architects, urban planners, engineers, and design specialists. The firm embraces cross-disciplinary collaboration as a catalyst for critical discourse and design excellence. In recent years,
KAAN Architecten has developed a distinctive methodology rooted in a narrative-driven design process, which unfolds across three key pillars: process design, customized to the unique goals of each project; design as a communication tool, ensuring clarity and inclusivity throughout development; and integrated sustainability, embedding principles like material circularity, climate resilience, and user well-being from the earliest stages. This integrated approach has proven especially effective in delivering large-scale, complex projects that unite functional longevity, spatial quality, and commercial value in architecture and the public realm.
Erikjan Vermeulen (born April 2, 1973, in Texel, the Netherlands) is a Dutch architect and co-founder of Concrete Architecture, established in 2006 alongside Rob Wagemans. With a background rooted in both practice and design innovation, Vermeulen brings decades of experience across architecture and urban development.
He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the HTS University of Construction in Utrecht in 1995, followed by a Master’s in Architecture from the Academy of Architecture in Amsterdam, completed in 2001. During his studies, he also participated in a formative 30-day Bauhaus workshop in Dessau in 1994.
Vermeulen’s early career included roles at leading Dutch firms, working as an architectural designer at Sluijmer en van Leeuwen Architects (1995–1997), project leader at Meijer en van Schooten Architects (1997–1999), and project architect at Arons en Gelauff Architects (1999–2003). In 2003, he founded his own studio, Erikjan Vermeulen Architects, before joining forces at Concrete to help shape distinctive, experience-driven spaces around the world.
Concrete Amsterdam is a multidisciplinary interior and architecture studio. Developing innovative concepts since 1997, that transcend traditional boundaries in architecture, interior design, urban design, branding, and conceptual programming. Concrete prioritizes ‘people before buildings’, shaping environments that seamlessly integrate with human life, across hospitality, housing, public buildings, retail, leading to innovative solutions globally.
Frans van Vuure is a globally recognized architect, urban designer, and Managing Director of UNS Austin, with over 30 years of experience delivering award-winning, peoplecentered infrastructure and transit projects. Known for leading transformative efforts like the Austin Light Rail, LAX modernization, and urban mobility initiatives in Houston and Detroit, his work blends design vision with community impact. With projects ranging from the Wasl Tower in Dubai to Kutaisi Airport in Georgia, Frans excels at uniting international teams to realize sustainable, city-defining architecture that advances both local priorities and long-term urban goals.
UNS was founded in 1988 by Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos. From bridges to public buildings, homes to workplaces, and exhibitions to urban developments, our work spans every scale and discipline. We see every project as an opportunity to shape the way people live, work, and connect. Our name, UNS, stands for United Network Studio, a statement of our approach and belief in the power of collaboration. By uniting diverse perspectives, we create spaces that challenge conventions, inspire new ways of thinking, and push boundaries to design a better future.
We believe in the power of design to create change. With a clear understanding of every project’s economic requirements and constraints, our goal remains to design socially, sustainably, and ethically responsible environments. We are self-critical as an organisation, constantly striving to improve and evolve. We apply our expertise to deliver far more than just architecture. Our teams generate fresh ideas and innovative solutions to tackle today’s most pressing challenges. We challenge the status quo, collaborating with clients, partners, and industry experts to contribute to a greener, healthier, and smarter built environment. By doing so, we aim to empower users and foster stronger, future-ready communities.
Afternoon 2:00pm (EDT) / 8:00pm (CEST)
Alice Shay is a Principal at Buro Happold and leads urban design and strategic planning projects with the firm’s Cities team. Educated at Brown University and MIT, Alice brings insights for the delivery of a highquality public realm, infrastructure adaptive reuse, management of large interdisciplinary teams, and innovation processes for urban development challenges. At Buro Happold, Alice managed the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Master Plan, Reimagine the Canals Task Force and Vision Plan, NYC Green Economy Action Plan, EJNYC Study, NYC Film & TV Industry Study, and Make Way for Lower Manhattan. Alice is an Instructor with the Cornell University Department of City and Regional Planning.
John Massengale, AIA CNU, is an architect and urban designer in New York City. A member of the FDNA Make Way for Lower Manhattan team, he is the author of Street Design, The Secret to Great Cities and Towns (“the best book ever written about designing streets”), and New York 1900, Metropolitan Architecture and Urbanism 1890-1915, with Robert A.M. Stern and Gregory Gilmartin. John is the Chair of the New York City chapter of the Congress for New Urbanism and is also on the Board of the City Club of New York, where he is the Co-Chair of the Urban Design Committee.
Ben Furnas is a leading expert in urban sustainability, climate, and infrastructure. He currently heads Transportation Alternatives, advocating for safer, more equitable streets in New York City. Previously, he served in the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Sustainability, where he helped advance Vision Zero, building decarbonization, and fleet electrification. A graduate of Cornell University and NYU Law, Ben has worked across public, academic, and nonprofit sectors to shape climate policy rooted in urban equity, and was Executive Director of The 2030 Project: A Cornell Climate Initiative.
Emily Weidenhof is Assistant Commissioner at NYC’s Department of Transportation, where she works with community groups across the five boroughs to re-imagine and transform streets into public spaces. She helped institutionalize the key city programs of Open Streets and Open Restaurants and has overseen projects such as 34th Avenue in Queens and Brooklyn’s Bike Boulevards. Educated in architecture and urban design at Penn State and Columbia Universities, she brings a peoplecentered approach to city streets.
Jonathan Marvel is the Founding Principal of Marvel and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. Born in Puerto Rico, Jonathan is an architect and urban designer with over 30 years of experience and has led Marvel’s efforts across countless typologies. In 2017, Jonathan cofounded Resilient Power Puerto Rico after the devastation of Hurricane Maria, and since then has spoken on behalf of the island’s needs at TEDx Dartmouth, The Architectural League, AIA Puerto Rico, and many other venues. Educated at Dartmouth College and Harvard University’s GSD, he is the recipient of national and international design awards including a 2019 Presidential Citation by the American Institute of Architects, the AIANY Medal of Honor in 2024, and was named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People of 2019.
Kimberlae Saul is a licensed architect who has worked across multiple disciplines in shaping urban and campus environments in New York City. Currently serving as the Vice President for Planning & Design at BPCA, Kimberlae is responsible for overseeing its capital planning, design, and sustainability activities, including the oversight of long-term capital projects. Educated at the University of Southern California and Columbia University’s GSAAP, Kimberlae was previously the Campus Architect at Pratt Institute. She is currently a Visiting Associate Professor at Pratt Institute, and a part-time faculty member at The New School. She is also co-chair of AIANY’s Design for Risk & Reconstruction Committee.
Alexis Taylor serves as Vice President of Climate Resilience at the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) where she is responsible for leading a portfolio of resilience and waterfront projects. These include neighborhood-scale resilience projects such as the Financial-District & Seaport Climate Resilience Master Plan; resilient waterfront greenway planning and design; and climate risk assessment tools to understand multi-hazard climate impacts across NYCEDC assets and inform future planning priorities. Educated at the University of Pennsylvania and MIT, she previously worked for the Bureau of Flood Resilience, Engineering and Construction at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and was a Senior Project Manager with Rebuild by Design.
Matthijs Bouw is a Dutch architect and urbanist and founder of One Architecture, an award-winning Amsterdam and New York-based design and planning firm. Educated at the Delft University of Technology, Bouw directs the Urban Resilience Certificate Program for the University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design, where he is Professor of Practice and Rockefeller Urban Resilience Fellow. A co-leader of the BIG Team that won the Rebuild by Design competition for the flood protection of Manhattan, Matthijs is currently part of the multi-disciplinary teams executing the first phase of the East Side Coastal Resiliency project for Lower Manhattan, as well as planning the Lower Manhattan Coastal Protection project.
The 1900’s: Connecting the City: The History of Infrastructure Symposium
The 1900’s: Connecting the City: The History of Infrastructure Symposium
Sunday, July 6, 2025
12:00 PM 5:00 PM
By 1900 New York was the largest city in America. The biggest challenges were moving 3.5 million people, helping them navigate, and providing them with enough power Join us for an afternoon about infrastructure how it developed and what is planned in the future as we move to a carbon neutral city. Please join cultureNOW, the Lower Manhattan Historical Association, South Street Seaport Museum, New YorkTransit Museum, and ConEdison for a hybrid symposium.
Speakers:
Richard Miller, Former Vice President, Energy and Environmental Law, Con Edison
Daniel Taft, Chief Engineer, Con Edison
Polly Desjarlais, Content and Research Manager, New YorkTransit Museum
John Tauranac, Cartographer, Historian, and Writer
Lower Manhattan Historical Timeline
Polly Desjarlais
Richard Miller
John Tauranac
Daniel Taft
1800’s Symposium: Lafayette and the Gilded Age Symposium
1800’s Symposium: Lafayette and the Gilded Age Symposium
Saturday, July 5, 2025
2:00 PM 5:00 PM
Please join cultureNOW, the Lower Manhattan Historical Association, Sons of the RevolutionSM in the State of New York, Inc. and its Fraunces Tavern® Museum for a hybrid symposium.
Speakers
Mike Duncan, history podcaster; author of Hero of Two Worlds: The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution.
Professor Robert Snyder, Manhattan Borough Historian; Professor of Journalism and American Studies at Rutgers Newark; co-author of All Nations Under Heaven.
Professor Moisette Broderick, Clinical Professor in the Department of Art History, New York University; Director of the London MA Programme in Historical and Sustainable Architecture
Price:
$35General Admission Lafayette and the Gilded Age Symposium Tickets
$50Reserved Seating Lafayette and the Gilded Age Symposium Tickets
$10Zoom/Virtual Only Lafayette and the Gilded Age Symposium Tickets
Reservation: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/frauncestavernmuseum/items/642604/calendar/2025/06/?full-items=yes
Tagged: Symposium
Lower Manhattan Historical Timeline
Unknown and Untold Stories at Kimlau Square
Unknown and Untold Stories at Kimlau Square
Saturday, July 5, 2025
11:00 AM 1:00 PM
Come Together for Unkown and Untold Stories at Kimlau Square.
Keynote Speaker:
Judge Randall Eng
Partner Organization: Chinatown BID/Partnership
Lower Manhattan Historical Timeline
1700’s Symposium : The Path to Liberty
1700’s Symposium : The Path to Liberty
Friday, July 4, 2025
1:00 PM 5:30 PM
Marquis De Lafayette, by Philibert-Louis Debucourt, 1790. Image Courtesy National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
The It Happened Here program highlighting the newly installed ‘Path to Liberty: The Emergence of a Nation’ exhibit.
Speakers
Scott Dwyer, Executive Director, Sons of the RevolutionSM in the State of New York and its Fraunces Tavern® Museum
Lisa Goulet, Collections Manager, Fraunces Tavern® Museum
Peter Hein, Past President, Sons of the RevolutionSM in the State of New York; Secretary, Lower Manhattan Historical Association
Seth Kaller, Seth Kaller, Inc, Historical Documents & Legacy Collections
Charles (Chuck) Schwam, Executive Director, The American Friends of Lafayette; National Sales Executive, Guernsey, Inc.
Lloyd S. Kramer, Emeritus Professor of History, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Panel Discussion: Moderator
Louise M. Joy, Attorney, Reed, Claymon, Meeker, Krienke & Spurck, PLLC
Descendants of James Armistead Lafayette
George Bruton Delaney, Retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel; Health IT Professional
Moses L. Delaney, U.S. Air Force veteran; CEO, Your EDU Career DBA First Job Prep
Richard Sylla, Author and Emeritus Professor of Economics, NYU School of Business
Prelude: Liss and the Culper Spy Ring in Historic Lower Manhattan, from 1:00pm to 1:30pm
Lower Manhattan Historical Timeline
Claire Bellerjeau
Louise M. Joy
Scott Dwyer
Peter C. Hein
Lisa Goulet
Seth Kaller
Lloyd Kramer
Charles Schwam
Richard Sylla
Alan R. Hoffman
George Bruton Delaney/Moses Delaney
10th Annual Independence Day Parade
Friday, July 4, 2025
9:00 AM 12:00 PM
The celebration of Independence Day has been a long standing tradition in Lower Manhattan from the very first days of the Revolution, and especially following the British military's evacuation in 1783. This year the celebration will begin with a Flag Raising, Cannon Salute to the fifty states at Castle Clinton, followed by a parade through historic downtown.
PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS IN THE PARADE
Lower Manhattan Historical Association
cultureNOW
Veteran Corps of Artillery State of New York
Sons of the RevolutionSM in the State of New York, Inc. & its Color Guard
The American Friends of Lafayette
Chung Pak Local Development Corp.
Colonial Dames of America
Immigrant Social Services (ISS)
Kiwanis Club for Community Care NYC
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
Col. Benjamin Tallmadge Chapter
Fort Greene Chapter
Knickerbocker Chapter
Manhattan Chapter
Mary Washington Colonial Chapter
New York City Chapter
Peter Minuit Chapter
Richmond County Chapter
National Society of the Children of the American Revolution
Sons of the American Revolution
1st New York Continental Chapter
Battle of Brooklyn Chapter
The American Legion Lt. B. R. Kimlau Chinese Memorial Post 1291
The Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY)
The Old Stone House Society
US China Cultural Foundation
Tagged: Parade, Cannon Firing, Flag raising, Family Activity
Lower Manhattan Historical Timeline
1600’s Symposium: The Beginning of the City
Thursday, July 3, 2025
2:30 PM 4:30 PM
Partner Organizations: cultureNOW, Lower Manhattan Historical Association, Sons of the RevolutionSM in the State of New York, Inc. and its Fraunces Tavern® Museum, Consulate-General of the Netherlands in New York, New York City Department of Records and Information Services, and New Amsterdam History Center
Tagged: Tour
Lower Manhattan Historical Timeline
Sandy Lazo
Zach Edinger
Peggy King Jorde
Oscar Hefting
Russel Shorto
Jaap Jacobs
Naturalization Ceremony
Naturalization Ceremony
Thursday July 3, 2025
10:00 AM-1:00 PM
Federal Hall National Memorial
Lower Manhattan Historical Timeline
A Celebration of the New York Cocktail
A Celebration of the New York Cocktail
Thursday, February 20, 2025
5:00 PM 9:00 PM
A Benefit for It Happened Here
Lower Manhattan has been America’s town square since its founding as Fort Amsterdam in 1624. Key global events— and nearly every aspect of national and local significance—can be traced to this New York “stage”. To kick off the United States’ upcoming 250th birthday and celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of New York, It Happened Here in July 2025 will compress 400 years into 5 days. Special events, tours, panels and other programming will re-activate the sites where America began, supplemented with cultureNOW’s digital museum without walls app.
Our host venue is the soon-to-be-completed workplace of the future, WSA (Water Street Associates) Our event will be held in the Water Street Projects exhibition space. Join us for an unforgettable evening dedicated to the historic cocktails that define the Big Apple. Sip on familiar and unfamiliar classic drinks while mingling with fellow cocktail enthusiasts. Our expert mixologists will be on hand to share the history behind each drink. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to indulge in the flavors of New York City!
Time:
Building Tour: 5:15pm
Cocktail Reception: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Cocktails by:
Natasha David Bartender
David Moo Bartender + Voice Actor
cultureNOW is a 501(c)(3) charitable association. EIN #75-3056357. The estimated fair market value of the cocktail reception is $100 per person. The balance is deductible as a charitable contribution to the extent allowed by law.
Lower Manhattan Historical Timeline
Black History at Foley Square - It Happened Here : An Afternoon of Black History From the African Burial Ground to Thurgood Marshall Courthouse
Black History at Foley Square - It Happened Here : An Afternoon of Black History From the African Burial Ground to Thurgood Marshall Courthouse
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
3:00 PM 7:00 PM
Much of Black history in New York revolves around Foley Square. This is a two-part event. First, we will have a tour of the African Burial Ground with its architect Rodney Leon, including a look at some of the artworks commissioned for the Burial Ground which depict the experience of enslaved people. This will be followed by the second part of the program highlighting three legal pioneers — Justice Thurgood Marshall, Judge Constance Baker Motley, and Judge Robert L. Carter — who collaborated at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund before going on to preside on the federal bench at Foley Square.
The honorees and the speakers are as follows
Justice Thurgood Marshall
Speaker: Hon. Paul A. Engelmayer, United States District Judge, Southern District of New York — former law clerk to Justice Marshall
Judge Constance Baker Motley
Speaker: Hon. Laura Taylor Swain, Chief Judge, United States District Court, Southern District of New York — former law clerk to Judge Motley
Judge Robert L. Carter
Speaker: Hon. Barrington D. Parker, Jr., United States Circuit Judge, Second Circuit — judicial colleague of Judge Carter
Thurgood Marshall U.S. Courthouse Renovation
Speaker: Lawrence Gutterman, AIA, Project architect
Please join cultureNOW, the Lower Manhattan Historical Association, the National Park Service, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, & Black Gotham for an afternoon tour and symposium.
Time
3:00 pm : Tour - African Burial Ground National Monument, 290 Broadway NY
5:00 pm : Symposium - Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse, 40 Foley Square, NY
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the city council. cultureNOW’s program is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Event Program
It Happened Here : American Presidents in New York
It Happened Here : American Presidents in New York
Monday, February 17, 2025
3:00 PM 5:00 PM
Every American President passed through New York City. Some were born here such as Theodore Roosevelt. Some lived here including Herbert Hoover who spent his post Presidential years residing in the Presidential Suite at the Waldorf Astoria. Some were married here. In 1844, for instance, John Tyler wed Julia Gardiner at the Church of the Ascension on 5th Avenue & 10th Street. Some worked here. Chester Arthur practiced law in New York first before he was appointed the Collector of the Port of New York, a position which actually paid more than the presidency. Some received medical care here. Grover Cleveland was operated on for cancer of the jaw on a yacht off of Pier A. Some like Ulysses S Grant went bankrupt here. Some launched their candidacy here. Abraham Lincoln gave the famous speech at Cooper Union that launched his candidacy and sadly returned a few years later in a casket to City Hall to terminate it. The appropriate place to celebrate President’s Day is, of course, Federal Hall, our first capital whose balcony was the site of Washington’s inauguration.
Please join cultureNOW, the Lower Manhattan Historical Association, & the National Park Service for a symposium.
Event Program
It Happened Here: American Presidents in New York - Introduction & Ranger Ryan Ventura, National Park Service
Introduction:
Ramon E. Mangual, PhD
Supervisory Park Ranger
National Park Service
Welcome:
Ambrose Richardson III
President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association
Presenter:
Ranger Ryan Ventura
National Park Service
It Happened Here: American Presidents in New York - Seth Kaller
Presenter:
Seth Kaller
Seth Kaller, Inc., Historic Documents & Legacy Collections
It Happened Here: American Presidents in New York - Abby Suckle
Presenter:
Abby Suckle
President, cultureNOW; Vice President, Lower Manhattan Historical Association
Saratoga Yorktown Celebration
Saratoga Yorktown Celebration
Saturday, October 19, 2024
2:30 PM 3:30 PM
A commemoration of the American Victories of Saratoga on October 17, 1777 and Yorktown on October 19, 1781. Each October the LMHA celebrates two of the Continental Army’s most decisive Revolutionary War victories, the battles of Saratoga and Yorktown. Both General Horatio Gates, the commanding general at the Battle of Saratoga, and Alexander Hamilton, a key aide to General George Washington and the leader the climactic charge against redoubt 10 at the Battle of Yorktown, are buried at Trinity Churchyard. Additionally, the Battle of Yorktown is symbolic of the United States of America’s oldest military alliance. Powerful French land forces, commanded by the Comte de Rochambeau, and an equally important and sizable French fleet, commanded by the Comte de Grasse, played a crucial role in the defeat and capitulation of the British army.
This will be the Inaugural Frederic P. Vigneron Award Federation of French War Veterans
Event Program
Shaping the Skyline in Lower Manhattan - American Institute of Architects National Presidents in Lower Manhattan
Shaping the Skyline in Lower Manhattan - American Institute of Architects National Presidents in Lower Manhattan
Friday, October 4, 2024
3:00 PM 4:30 PM
The American Institute of Architects was founded in Lower Manhattan by 29 architects in 1857 to “promote the scientific and practical perfection of its members” and “elevate the standing of the profession.” Until this time, anyone who wished to call themselves an architect, including masons, carpenters, bricklayers, and other members of the building trade, could do so. With over 95,000 members and 200+ chapters, AIA is the largest and most influential network of architects and design professionals in the world. AIANY is the country’s largest chapter and in 2011 it launched Archtober—NYC’s annual, month-long architecture festival. We will honor the AIA National Presidents with a two-part event beginning with an afternoon walking tour of some of the most distinguished buildings designed by them that have shaped Lower Manhattan. Richard Upjohn served for nearly 20 years as the first president. He was followed by some of the best architects of the day: Richard Morris Hunt, Daniel Burnham, Cass Gilbert, George Post, and Charles McKim. The evening will end with our signature Friday evening Cocktails & Conversations with the current AIA National President.
Tour Leaders:
Abby Suckle FAIA, President cultureNOW; Principal, Abby Suckle Architect
William M. Singer AIA, Code and Zoning specialist Technical Affairs, New York City Department of Buildings
Event Program
A Celebration of Constitution Day
A Celebration of Constitution Day
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
5:00 PM 7:00 PM
September 17, 1787 marks the signing of the US Constitution. George Washington wrote a cover letter explaining to the states why they should ratify it. The first printing was in the Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser 2 days later. Notably, on display there will be a rare copy of the Constitution, and the United States District Court for the District of New York was the first court to convene after the passage of the Judiciary Act of 1789.
Please join cultureNOW, the United States District Court for the District of New York, & the Lower Manhattan Historical Association for an afternoon symposium about our Constitution and its ratification.
Speakers:
Professor Kevin Arlyck, Georgetown Law
Honorable Judge P. Kevin Castel, United States Southern District Court
Seth Kaller, Historical Documents & Legacy Collections
James von Klemperer, FAIA, President Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
CLE and CEU credits
Event Program
9th Annual Independence Day Celebration
9th Annual Independence Day Celebration
ThursdaThursday, July 4, 2024
10:00 AM 4:00 PM
The celebration of Independence Day has been a long standing tradition in Lower Manhattan from the very first days of the Revolution, and especially following the British military's evacuation in 1783. As the celebration of this most important of American patriotic holidays gravitated uptown to other neighborhoods this and other Lower Manhattan historical traditions gradually faded into relative obscurity and finally ceased to be active by the mid-1970s. Understanding only too well how Lower Manhattan holds a place second to none among the cities and States leading the revolutionary cause for independence and appreciating the wealth of historical monuments and American patriot gravesites concentrated in what is often called the "tip of Manhattan" several of the oldest and most respected historical and military organizations with deep ties to the neighborhood formed the Lower Manhattan Historical Association in 2014 for the purpose of reviving the patriotic traditions so closely associated with our beloved city, offer the multiplicity of our communities as well as our many visitors the opportunity to participate and enhance the sentiments of coexisting plurality and unity that define the ideals of great nation.
For its Ninth Parade, festivities will begin with a 10:00 Flag Raising Ceremony led by the Veteran Corps of Artillery of the State of New York, followed by the parade which will end at South Street Seaport Pier 16. In the afternoon, Fraunces Tavern Museum will have an open house from 2:00-5:00pm. There is also an It Happened Here program at 2:00pm highlighting the newly installed Lafayette exhibit. Original copies of the Declaration of Independence including newspapers printed on July 18th will be on display at the museum.
Museum at Eldridge Street
Museum at Eldridge Street
Sunday, June 23, 2024
1:00 PM 3:30 PM
The Eldridge Street Synagogue was the First synagogue in America purpose-built by immigrants from Eastern Europe. By 1887 when it was constructed, the Lower East Side was in the process of becoming the most densely populated neighborhood on in the world. The building was dedicated a National Historic Landmark in 1987 which inaugurated a decades long preservation project. It was reopened in 2007 Please join cultureNOW, the Lower Manhattan Historical Association, the Federal Hall Conservancy & The Museum at Eldridge Street for an afternoon symposium highlighting the cultural richness of this amazing synagogue.
Event Program
St Paul’s Chapel : Places Over Time
St Paul’s Chapel : Places Over Time
Thursday, March 7, 2024
2:30 PM 4:30 PM
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
Event Program
Lunch & Learn: The Birth of New York City's Municipal Government
Lunch & Learn: The Birth of New York City's Municipal Government
Friday, February 2, 2024
1:00 PM 2:00 PM
An online program of presentations on Dutch colonial records to launch the 400th Anniversary of the arrival of the Dutch in New York.
On February 2, 1653 the States General in the Hague and the Dutch West India Company in Amsterdam issued a charter officially establishing a government structure like those existing in the Netherlands.
Register for the program here
Event Program
8th Annual Independence Day Celebration
8th Annual Independence Day Celebration
Tuesday, July 4, 2023
10:30 AM 12:00 PM
The celebration of Independence Day has been a long standing tradition in Lower Manhattan from the very first days of the Revolution, and especially following the British military's evacuation in 1783. As the celebration of this most important of American patriotic holidays gravitated uptown to other neighborhoods this and other Lower Manhattan historical traditions gradually faded into relative obscurity and finally ceased to be active by the mid-1970s. Understanding only too well how Lower Manhattan holds a place second to none among the cities and States leading the revolutionary cause for independence and appreciating the wealth of historical monuments and American patriot gravesites concentrated in what is often called the "tip of Manhattan" several of the oldest and most respected historical and military organizations with deep ties to the neighborhood formed the Lower Manhattan Historical Association in 2014 for the purpose of reviving the patriotic traditions so closely associated with our beloved city, offer the multiplicity of our communities as well as our many visitors the opportunity to participate and enhance the sentiments of coexisting plurality and unity that define the ideals of great nation.
For its Eighth Parade, festivities will begin with a 10:00 Flag Raising Ceremony led by the Veteran Corps of Artillery of the State of New York and their Annual Salute to the Nation, marchers will assemble at 10:45am for the parade which will end at South Street Seaport Pier 16. In the afternoon, Fraunces Tavern Museum will have an open house from 2:00-5:00pm. There is also the first It Happened Here program at 2:00pm.
Event Program
